So we're getting a glimpse of 5e licensing...

[obryn]

...and it's weird.

http://www.examiner.com/article/sasquatch-game-studio-to-produce-5e-d-d-products

Sasquatch is Rich Baker, Dave Noonan, and Stephen Schubert, so all of them are WotC expatriates.


dventurer's Handbook (March 17, 2015; hardcover; $39.95) -- A Dungeons & Dragons Accessory...Not inherently evil, elemental power can be mastered by those with both malevolent and benign intentions. The Elemental Evil Adventurer’s Handbook provides everything that players need to build a character that is tied directly into the Elemental Evil story arc, with skills, abilities, and spells meant to augment their play experience throughout the campaign. Additionally, valuable background and story information provides greater depth and immersion. An accessory that expands the number of options available for character creation for the Elemental Evil story arc, providing expanded backgrounds, class builds, and races meant specifically for this campaign...Provides background and setting information critical to having the greatest chance of success.

Princes of the Apocalypse (March 17, 2015; hardcover; $49.95) -- A Dungeons & Dragons Adventure...Called by the Elder Elemental Eye to serve, four corrupt prophets have risen from the depths of anonymity to claim mighty weapons with direct links to the power of the elemental princes. Each of these prophets has assembled a cadre of cultists and creatures to serve them in the construction of four elemental temples of lethal design. It is up to adventurers from heroic factions such as the Emerald Enclave and the Order of the Gauntlet to discover where the true power of each prophet lay, and dismantle it before it comes boiling up to obliterate the Realms. A super-adventure for the Elemental Evil story arc, Princes of the Apocalypse provides everything a Dungeon Master needs to create an exciting and memorable play experience. Fans of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Roleplaying Game can get a sample of what this product has in store for them through the D&D Encounters(TM) in-store play program.
Clearly this is an official licensing arrangement, since there's even an Encounters tie-in and the big D&D branding everywhere. It might explain why we haven't heard anything about 3rd party licenses - WotC appears to be managing all of those themselves, now, maybe.

e: But as the article points out, an open license seems barely relevant with what Necromancer and Goodman Games are already doing.

[Person_Man]

My guess is that it's a direct limited license. In other words, three former employees on good terms with WotC approach the company, offer them a % of the profits on a set number of books, and WotC/Hasbro agrees because it makes money off the deal with no risk to itself, and it wants to foster other similar deals in the future.

[obryn]

My guess is that it's a direct limited license. In other words, three former employees on good terms with WotC approach the company, offer them a % of the profits on a set number of books, and WotC/Hasbro agrees because it makes money off the deal with no risk to itself, and it wants to foster other similar deals in the future.
It's a similar arrangement that they made to Kobold Press, though, with Tyrrany of Dragons. This is very official and tied into Encounters; it's more than just a license, it's subcontracting. It's a D&D release more than a Sasquatch release.

So my hypothesis right now - based on these data points - is that (1) WotC will be farming out a lot of its content, including major Encounters releases, to licensed third parties; and (2) this may be instead of a 3rd-party license like the GSL or d20STL, since WotC keeps greater control over the property this way. This will let them maintain the RPG with pretty much a skeleton crew, which from what I've heard, it already pretty much is.

I expect there will be a "fan license" down the road, as has been alluded to, but I would not be at all surprised to learn there is no generalized plan to let third-parties sell content for D&D 5e outside a direct licensing/subcontracting arrangement like this.

But! The lack of a GSL or STL for 5e doesn't seem to be a serious impediment. Time will tell if we'll see Mayfair/Role Aids style lawsuits down the road, but for now, plenty of companies are producing 3rd party content anyway.